60K Miles on 1 Oil Change!?! Infiniti Q50 VR30DDTT Neglected TO DEATH.
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Today's teardown subject is the engine from a 2016 Infiniti Q50 3.0t. This is the VR30DDTT, which is the offered in a few different cars with two different power outputs including the Q50, Q60 and New Nissan Z. This particular example is the 300hp version and came from Phil at GAP automotive in south Florida. According to him, this engine was in a car with about 60k miles that was throwing some cam sensor codes and running poorly. Lets tear it down and see how bad it really is!
Why on earth am I doing these teardowns? I own and run a full service auto salvage business in the Saint Louis area called Importapart. Part of our model is buying blown, core and unwanted engines and dismantling them to resell the good, usable parts. We do not rebuild engines, we merely supply parts to those who do.
I really hope you enjoyed this teardown. As always, I love all of the comments, feedback, and even the criticism. Catch you on the next one!
-Eric
I’m 0:26 into this one…my guess is no one changed the oil
Hole smokes at 2:52 I was close
Holy Rainman Ray good evening sir. 😃
@@RainmanRaysRepairs when it rains it pours
@@kevincurry4735 👋 hello
Ray I'm sure you've seen this more times than you even want to remember.
That was indeed a costly repair. According to Infiniti’s parts catalog the long block assembly is discontinued. However, the short block is $5800 and the cylinder heads are $2600 each. Tack on turbos and timing components, that’s around $15,000 in parts alone. But hey, they saved that oil change money. 😂
Ffs lmfao
Whoever owned the car took fuck it to a level even beyond what I do. I can almost guarantee the owner of this vehicle microwaves fish at work
Probably was a lease, and they ignored the calls and emails to bring it in for service. Going to bet they will be charged for the full cost of replacing the engine, and for the towing as well. Though as the lease holder likely is a company the actual driver will not see much of the cost, unless the company decides that this is also coming out of their bonus as well.
Ouch
@@Lovesausage269 So what is the issue with a fish in a microwave? Horrible smell? I never had the idea to microwave a fish
Remember kids if your water pump starts getting drippy to consult your doctor lol
Or just censor it's orifice...........🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍
I just drop a couple pinicillin in my radiator every now and again.
Why was he blurring out the water pump
@@ryans413 To be funny
@@ryans413lmao
"No one has ever blown up their engine from changing their oil too often." WalMart tire and lube HAS ENTERED THE CHAT
Jiffy Lube says "hold my monster energy drink as I put your drain plug in with a 3/4 impact."
Firestone says "It wasn't us, the last guys must have cross threaded it - you need a $600 oil pan or a tow out."
Nissan dealership: “ Could not have been us…………….We only install OEM filters” Looking at the WIX filter you installed yourself during the previous oil change. 😮
Take 5- WTF is oil?
...As long as they add the new oil in, and remember to put the new oil filter back on!
It saddens me to see an engine worth more than my current car get murdered, especially an expensive engine in an expensive car.
Rich people with more money than brains.
@@TiborRoussou too many of them
@TiborRoussou You are correct!! Common sense is not common!!😱🤬
@@TiborRoussou The amount of neglect makes me wonder if they even had brains.
expensive people dont give a sht,,they can afford it.. hood lever,,??,,whats that..??.
The size of that water pump passage is quite impressive. Even blurred out it’s impossible to look away.
So, what did I miss… why is it blurred out? Or is that just a running gag…
I appreciate the commitment to the gag of blurring it for the duration of the video
Blurring it out was a cute joke for this one video, but please don't make this an ongoing bit!
Why is it blurred out, supersecret design?
@@billvoorvaart7206 it's an ongoing joke that water pump channels look like something that belongs in am X-rated movie
I think that engine, and that oil, both had 60K miles on them. Your dedication to covering that water pump with a blur is commendable LOL.
Why cover water pump?
@@daletoro It closely resembles... "the strongest shape".
Eric is taking NO chances with the KZhead police 😁
Non-mechanical newcomer here, unaware until now that engines have naughty bits.
I do not think that Purolator oil filter was factory. That oil filter had been changed at least once.
Dude I'm laughing so hard at the water pump censorship😂😂😂
Is there a secret about it lol?
The contrast between the inside and the outside of this engine is remarkable.
that's why you eat healthy and poop often... lest you as well be full of s*it.
The outside of that engine looked imaculate.
That engine was damn near misou black inside.
Your unwavering dedication to your usual gags is what keeps me here. That and the carnage.
I like the always blursed water pump cavity.
Can I ask why he blurred the water pump? Can’t get the context of the joke haha
Never saw sludge like this. The worst was a guy who had been putting non-detergent 30wt in his engine. When we pulled the valve covers, it was like lifting a jell-o mold. Complete with "Chevrolet" molded into the sludge loaves.
I've seen engines like that several times on the Just Rolled In channel. It's really something.
Just need to add the cat chow bits for garnish. Yum!
I bought a Hymac in the 80s with a 6L Perkins diesel. The block was split from freezing. I had this welded. At the bottom of the sump was sludge like soft tarmac which I chiselled out. After a good clean and service it ran well with hard work for 5 years until sold. It was a very basic but well engineered engine.
Sludge loaves? 🤣
@@mikegreen2229 💀
I'm not sure what i like more, when you chuck a good water pump or when you gently wrap up and lay down a bad one. I crack up every time 😂😂
I owned 2 300ZX vehicles over the years and seeing this practically made me cry. Doing that to what I considered a beautiful engine is criminal. Whoever owned that and never changed the oil should never own another car again.
It probably got repossessed from the original owner who never had the money to own it
It's only a hunk of metal. The extra CO2 emissions are probably the worst part.
@@nigelalderman9178you are probably on the wrong side of KZhead. Emissions make us smile
Trees like CO2.. Your trees will grow better.
@@nigelalderman9178 Only a hunk of metal? Have you ever owned a car and loved it? I suspect not. As for extra C02 emissions, they would not have been bad IF the owner took care of the vehicle.
Probably one of my former boss's vehicles. He was all too happy to tell people how he would lease a new vehicle and then run it into the ground until the check engine/oil lights came one, then dump it back for a newer one and start over.
In 1963 when I was 16, my friend bought a 1956 DeSoto that ran great. We pulled a rocker cover and it weighed about 20 lbs. it was full of grey jello. We cleaned it and the other side out and changed the engine oil to high detergent oil. When that oil cleaned out all the other sludge in the engine it burned oil terribly and never ran well again. Live and learn.
I guess that's why some mechanics suggest not to flush an old high mileage auto transmission, because that's going to be the end of it😁
As a Q50 owner I must say I am impressed the engine was still running and it's that gunked up. I'm at 120k on mine and has never missed it's 5k oil change so I have high hopes I'll make it to 200k
Dam you wait to 5k I do mine 3k I rather be safe then sorry
@@Allcity323 I was doing it every 3k but I was doing an oil change every month which was a bit excessive for me. plus I put in Lucas full synthetic oil stabilizer everytime and do 6qts instead of 5.5 for a little bit of extra protection.
@@dillpickle2512 putting more oil than required is not extra protection it’s called running rich and can hurt your car too just like running with less than required Can hurt your engine
@@Allcity323 well 80k miles of doing that on top of the fact it's far from stock plus been beaten hard and no issues yet so guess I got lucky. knock on 🪵
@@Allcity323i was about to say the same thing. with a direct injection turbocharged engine 3K mile oil changes is best.
The water pump bit never gets old 😂😂
the oil is now acting like a second adhesive to hold the engine together🤣🤣🤣
These videos will always be my favorite part about Saturdays!
Saturdays.
I'm shocked!!! you blurred out the water pump groove? Must have had something to do with last week's injector removal sequence, I had to have a cigarette after that one, either way, great clip as always, you never disappoint!!! Thank you for sharing.
Why did he blur it out I don’t get it
@@therealjeffdimps2 Not too sure why he blurred it out but it could be one of two things, 1. He may have gotten a warning from You-tube due to the explicit nature from the previous post, or he was just playing a prank on all of us because if you recall, he burred it out after he pulled the water pump, so we all seen it.
I remember the old ad from the seventies about oil and filter changes (I think). It was a mechanic in front of his shop, The final line from the ad was "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."
Was that Motorcraft?? (showing my age😉)
It amazes me to see how these neglected engines hold up pretty well. How is it possible that it actually has so little damage?
look at it this way. If you’re an intelligent Nissan Z, Q50 or Q60 owner the engine will run a long ass time if you change the oil. Wish the nimrod who owned this motor knew that 😮
@@Silversmok3unfortunately most cars like the Q50, bmw 3series, audi a4 mercedes c class have dipsh*t owners that dont know anything about cars therefore dont even know what an oil change is
That's not buildup on those cams, that's seasoning!🍳
He was preparing sauce for the piston mcnuggets. The order of nuggets never got filled though...
The power difference is due to boost level in the tune. 400hp version runs 14 psi and 2 intercooler pumps
Wouldn’t it then be a worse idea to get the 400hp engine because higher pressure leads to faster breakdown of engine? I’m assuming in most circumstances people don’t need an extra 100 hp.
@Poochie ! That's not how it works lol
@@poochie5543 only if you constantly at 6.5k rpm. The plasma spray in the cylinder walls has a very small coefficient of friction which expands the life of the engine.
@@poochie5543ive driven both versions and i went with the 300 HP one cause there was a very small performance difference between the 2....the 300 HP one hauls butt
After my Q50 had its engine replaced at 60k miles because of the dreaded wastegate rattle,, Infiniti themselves told me 10k between oil changes was ok. I still do mine at 4k max.
They replaced the whole engine because of wastegate rattle?
I'm pretty sure this owner thought they said 100k mile oil change interval. :)
10k? That’s asking for the engine to blow, and from the Infiniti technicians?
@@2seep probably what Infiniti themselves say is okay for 'normal' driving. Most people's commutes fall under what most manufacturers describe as 'severe'.
As long as you are using the correct oil this is perfectly fine. You can always work your way up to it doing oil analysis as you go.
That was Grizzly! I'm betting the car was flashing "change my oil" for 3 years.
Think they turned it off every 5K or whatever interval it went on?
Grisly* sorry though
The sludge reminds me of engines from way back in the day that ran non-detergent oil.
Back in the day, this type of sludge is how mechanics knew if the owner used Quaker State oil! I bet it smelled lovely!!
A crash bracket. Wow must have been some interesting - fiery? - crash testing results that motivated that addition.
Especially since manufacturers don't spend an extra dime for anything.
Another Saturday night eating popcorn and watching an engine teardown. How sad am I?
It's the best part of the week
You have a few very sad friends...
The reason they do that with the drain bolt height is so the pickup tube is never not submerged in oil, so it never pulls air into the system during oil changes. The timing on these engines is really delicate and air being introduced can cause serious problems
AKA Nissan didn't want to start pumping oil? I mean that's a terrible liability to cover a quirk. And that's coming from someone who cracked a passenger cam gear on a VQHR, so this episode kinda hit close.
I can sorta buy that (though I would think that waiting a minute or two after filling it with oil would mitigate that kind of thing); composite oil pan is still a bit of a headscratcher though. Z1 makes a metal undershield for these now.
I'd love to see follow up interviews with some of these owners. Like "did you know oil changes are a thing?" Especially crazy being a new car.. it must've been telling her to change it for 50k miles.
knew it must have been a her.
i love how the water pump is outside the timing cover. such a pain on the early model VQ engine.
I look forward to these videos every Saturday night. Thank you for doing them.
Always an entertaining engine teardown. Thanks Eric.
Those pistons look happy to see us.
Thanks Eric, your time and energy mean a lot to people 🤩
I would have liked to see the inside of the oil filter.
According to the quickie lube all that needs is a can of magic engine flush, an oil change and a new air filter (because it always needs a new air filter), that engine will be good to go for another 500k miles! The pistons come out so easily because of low tension piston rings. Helps reduce friction when the pistons are moving which improves fuel economy. It’s also why so many modern engines burn oil. (I wrote all of that before you said it but didn’t feel like deleting it)
Most people think engines should not burn any oil and never check the level between changes. I know better and check mine several times between changes and top it up as needed. Manufactures need to pit a low oil light on the dash. Not low oil pressure... that light comes on and your already screwed. I have never figured out why they dont put a low oil level on cars. Probably cost 50 cents.
@@ohioplayer-bl9emalmost certain my e60 has one of those 😂
The inside of this engine reminds me of the view under the intake manifold of the first V8 I overhauled, a '64 Chevy 283. There was so much sludge that you couldn't see the cam at all. Lubricants have come a long way since then.
These are best viewed Sunday morning with coffee. I love his tear downs. It's like the whole train wreck thing with what people do to their cars.
Honorable mention: Parts Washer is a real trooper!
First time in a long time that you haven't had a single bad piston. Must be a full moon out.
Yes, I have a q50 vr30 fbo tuned, this video is truly a gift thank you so much
yup - had a lady at work stating she NEVER changes the oil. What the.....!
I know you don't claim to be an expert on all makes and models, but I thought you'd know about the performance benefits of fully floating timing chains by now! So much less drag when you stop spinning the cams as hard.
😂😂😂
This looks like a "It had oil in it when I bought it! Why does it need more?" Situation 😂
60k miles with no oil changes. Thats a true stress test.
Just found your channel! Love your content. Please more close up of parts, the more details and specs the better! Thanks for all the videos.
These videos never get old! Still looking forward to the dodge magnum tear down 😊
I want to see what the oil filter element looked like.
Well the block was really clean, I ordered a 85" TV just so I can watch your videos,
Good on you for stepping up to help rainman!
After having one of those days , it's nice to just sit back and watch the autopsy of some poor engine that had a worse one .
I hear you!
26:50 Another way to check for bent valves is to put some solvent in the ports and observe the combustion chamber for any leaks.
This is a much better way to check it.
@@HomelabExtreme What's the difference?
@@abdul-kabiralegbe5660 On many cylinder heads it is hard to get a clear view into the port, to determine of some fluid is draining through. That is a non-issue when you fill up the port, and monitor it from the chamber side. Also, pouring the fluid into the port allows a much deeper puddle, which equals a higher pressure, again making it easier to spot a leak.
@@HomelabExtreme Thanks.
Amazing video as always. Beautiful drone shots!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Enjoyable and informative video as always! 🙂
Great video as always Eric 😀 did you figure out where the two springs in the oil pickup came from ??
This, enquiring minds want to know.....
I think if you look at the smashed cam gear you can see 2 holes inside it where those springs would sit.
Good evening Eric. From first sight from pulling the covers, the oil sludge in this engine probably be epic.
Sorry, I've seen way, WAY worse examples of sludging than this. Admittedly, not with so few miles as this. I very seen it at least an inch thick, on two different engines.
I am sure there are some with more sludge. That was probably by adding more oil over time until they made an oil crankcase mold.
Well the insides reminds me of a 1970"s SBC running Quaker State. Saw that you helped out Rainman Ray with a Suburu engine. Your a good man Charlie Brown.
Typically when we replace VR30s at the dealer we do turbos too since they typically are going are already gone cause of the lack of oil from the sludge, and the price for these things with labor is 35k plus it’s insane
The owner, probably, "It burns oil, so I just kept topping it up, and then changed it at 45,000 miles...." My theory is the chain tensioner on the passenger side got so sludged up. it allowed the chain to come off the guide. Crunch!
My buddy tried the single oil change routine on his leased Infiniti. Spent two months negotiating the $15K the dealer wanted for a new engine. Got them down to $6K. He leaned his lesson: Oil changes are cheaper than a dealer with an attorney.
Literally sat down with a bowl of popcorn to watch this. I was not disappointed. Always amazing to see an engine that's never had it's oil changed. Yeah, this one's oil is well on it's way to turning into polymerized plastic. Think seasoned cast iron cookware.
I hope you have a good Subie engine for Rainman Ray. An exchange, and you can tear down the one he has with a broken-off water pump bolt! Because who doesn’t love a good 4-cyl. Boxer engine teardown? 😊
I am definitely more on top of my oil changes since watching you. I have a car with a little over 208,000 miles and still running smooth, will not go over 5,000 miles between oil changes. 👍🏼
That was an excellent episode Eric!!! I noticed that 5 of the pistons had stuck rings, among several other problems that stemmed directly from the owner/operator neglecting this vehicle... The car that this engine came out of, was basically driven to the ground... It is incredible how complex these machines are... Lots of power and performance, with a reasonable amount of fuel efficiency.... That is, when they are running properly.... It's no wonder why vehicles of many types have become so expen$ive... Over-engineering to the 'Nth degree'... Much more complex, than what is actually necessary... Anyway, I like this channel, because it shows how the modern machines are put together, and how many things can and do go wrong with them, sometimes even when they are taken care-of properly, because the chances of mishap with exotic metals and super high technology, and extreme complexity are much more likely to happen,.... BTW, the actual cause if the failure of this engine, was because of the failed valve timing components, that are of a complex variable angle, adjust on the fly- design.... This has also happened on other engines that had been taken care-of properly... I like the older/simpler designs.... More reliable, easier to repair and fully capable of achieving any posted speed limits on the highways.... What more could anybody ask for?
i saw a video of a shredder shredding nissan engines, seemed odd at the time, makes more sense now. great vid!
All things considered with that much sludge, the motor was in overall pretty good shape.
So where did those 2 springs in the pickup come from?
The broken cam phaser
I have no idea but this is engine job is mesmerising.
..truly amazing what some people do to beautiful engines..
I feel like under the valve covers should be blurred out too!
No need to blur them when it looks like government censors have redacted pretty much everything ....
You know you got quality metallurgy when the pry tabs break off! I felt ill when I saw the plastic bottom pan. Just as stupid as plastic water pump housings on some cars these days. I guess you can't run an engine on roof tar.......8^) liked the video, thanks!
Those aren't for prying against. Likely there for holding it in a jig for machining at the factory.
Man, I love your videos dude.
TY for the very informational entertainment buddy as always.
Crazy thing is that infinite suggests oil changes every 10k! That alone seems too long. I change oil on my q50 every 6 months.
I don't think I've ever seen motor oil turn to plastic inside an engine.
The blurry water pump spot throughout the video was awesome
Love the videos i always look forward to your teardown realeases That being said wheres the subaru 3.3 h6
The blurred out water pump housing is cracking me up!!
😂 it's exposing itself
Hold up Eric, I'm about to watch but I have a question right away; are you seeing the VR30's end up in salvage at a greater rate than the old VQ's? The 3.7 VHR specifically?
The vhrs were never at a salvage rate ever, maybe a DE or maybe a HR he doesn’t even have a vhr video on here only a hr
Loved that you stuck with the blurred out orifice bit the hole way thru…
Great video for Saturday night once again. 😊
Wow! 😮 That engine was dirtier than my ex-girlfriend!!
Wait, you actually blurred the water pump? 😂 Side note, it's shocking to know there are people who believes oil changes are unnecessary
Would it shock you to know some people will refuse to pay for synthetic oil even though that's what the manufacturer specifies? "It all does the same thing."
@ivertranes2516 No, that wouldn't surprise me at all
Yet another example of you can't judge a book by its cover. Nice and pretty shiny on the outside...like the inside of a tar pit almost. A great video Eric 🙂
26:03 Piston made contact with valve and it looks pretty pleased about it
I’m too old to be laughing at the blur…but I’m giggling like a schoolgirl
All the work it took to add it to the different camera angles…now that is commitment to the bit!
This engine was pretty stout. I'd imagine it would run a long time with regular oil changes.
Thanks for helping out Rainman Ray, with the subaru engine!
Awesome!!! Glad you’re doing a Nissan!!
Funeral Director: "Hey Eric, my hearse gets really bad gas mileage." Eric: "That's because of all the dead weight in the back."
Glad you were able to hook Ray up with an engine. I thought it was good on him to upload the footage. I felt so bad for him. I did the same thing as a young mechanic.
Love this Saturday night show
Seeing a ve at the end of 2 videos in a row makes me miss mine even more 😢
"It's always the obvious ones." HA! I've watched so many of your videos, and they're all great, but there was something about the way you said that, the low voice, the deadpan delivery, totally caught me by surprise. LOL indeed, my friend, you rock, don't forget on the difficult days. You rock. Keep on keeping on.
chrysler has had composite pans for sometime too. i replaced one years ago when the bung spun with the drain plug. replace the whole pan.
Having watched many of your videos with total destructed engines its interesting seeing that ANY oil is still better than NO oil. I would still recommend changing your engine oil of course!
Amazing channel!! Love all your videos! It never stops mesmerizing me how people can be so oblivious when using a car. This video shows how strong is this engine (even with all the sludge) Thanks!
Eric you're badass keep it up man